Actress Saba Qamar has been appointed UNICEF’s first national ambassador for child rights in Pakistan.
The announcement was made on the International Day of the Girl Child, on October 11 2024.
Saba said, “I am honored to join UNICEF and support their mission to ensure every child’s rights.”
Abdullah A. Fadil, who is serving as the Representative for UNICEF in Pakistan, tweeted: “Delighted to announce that Saba Qamar will join the UNICEF 🇵🇰 family as the first National Ambassador for Child Rights. Together we can make an even bigger difference in the lives of all children in 🇵🇰. Welcome onboard @s_qamarzaman Thank you for sharing your powerful voice.”
While talking to Independent Urdu, Qamar said, “I have been in Karachi for three days now, and I visited a place where I met young girls, children, and women. I was happy to see that UNICEF has done a lot of work there, providing proper medicine and education. However, I still feel that these children need clean water and a safe environment. For this, I need the support of my nation and my people. When we work together, we can bring about change.”
The Serial Killer actress emphasized the importance of using her voice and platform for positive change, stating, “I believe we, especially as actors, are blessed people. Allah has given us everything, fame, name, and most importantly, a voice that people look up to. They want to see us and hear from us. If we talk about these issues and want to bring about change, they will support us.”
Saba also highlighted the urgent need to change the mindset surrounding child marriage, particularly in regions like Sujawal (Sindh).
“At this stage, children need love, security, and a sense of identity. If you marry off a child at this age, what will happen to her future? After a year or two, these girls become pregnant, and they face various complications during pregnancy that only they understand”, Qamar added.
Saba also said, “I met a girl named Anam who told me she was about to get married, there was a fire in her eyes, and I was so impressed by how UNICEF is raising awareness and educating these children. They are providing education centers, medicine, and teaching about good touch and bad touch, among other things.”
However, Saba acknowledged that many more areas in Pakistan need support and change saying, “I am happy to see how many girls are coming forward. Each girl represents a society, a family. When we educate one child, imagine how much change we can bring to society. I have seen a group of girls who had confidence, a fire in their eyes, and a desire to bring about change. They understood the difference between right and wrong, good and bad touch, and even spoke English. I was impressed that such positive change could happen in a small area like Sujawal.”
In Pakistan, child marriage is a major problem, with around 19 million girls married before the age of 18. Many of these girls faces serious health risk due to early pregnancies.
Across the border, Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor has also been appointed as UNICEF India National Ambassador for Child Rights on May 4, 2024.
Here is the tweet shared by Abdullah A. Fadil:
Here is the post shared by Saba Qamar:
